Daniel Burbank

Daniel ‘Dan’ C. Burbank is a retired Captain in the US Coast Guard who was born on July 27, 1967 in Manchester, Conneticut, but he considers Yarmouthport, Massachusetts his hometown. He graduated from Tolland High School in 1979 and he holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the US Coast Guard Academy in 1985. He also has a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering which he received from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1990. Dan Burbank got his commission from the US Coast Guard Academy in 1985 and he was assigned to the CG Cutter Gallatin as a Deck Watch Officer and Law Enforcement / Boarding Officer. He attended Naval Flight Training in 1987 to 1988 and he became an Aircraft Commander in the HH-3F Pelican when he was assigned to CG Air Station Elizabeth City, NC. He also worked as an Aircraft Commander and Instructor in the HH-60J Jayhawk. Burbank completed specialized training in Aviation Maintenance and Administration in preparation for future work in the field of aeronautical engineering. He was assigned to Coast Gurad Air Station Cape God, MA as a Rotary Wing Engineering Officer and HH-60J Commander/Instructor in 1992. Three years later, Burbank was transferred to CG Air Station Sitka, AK, as the Aeronautical Engineering officer. He also continued his work as HH-60J commander. In total, Burbank has logged over 4,000 flight hours and more than 1,800 missions including 300 Coast Guard search&rescue missions. He flew primarily in Coast Guard Helicopters. NASA selected Dan Burbank as part of the 1996 Astronaut Group and Burbank reported to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas to begin two years of initial training and further evaluation. When he completed training, Burbank was assigned technical duties within the Astronaut Office’s Operations Planning Branch and the ISS Branch. He also worked inside Mission Control as a CAPCOM for ISS Missions as well as Space Shuttle Missions. Burbank was a member of the Space Shuttle Cockpit Avionics upgrade design team. His first spaceflight was Space Shuttle Mission STS-106 to the International Space Station. The 12-day mission successfully prepared the ISS for its first permanent crew of Expedition 1. More than 6,600 pounds of supplies were transferred to the Station. More equipment was installed such as batteries, power converters, enivronmental control system parts and the first ISS treadmill. The mission featured one spacewalk that was performed to connect power and data cables between the ISS and the new Service Module. Burbank’s second flight on the Space Shuttle was STS-115 in September of 2006. The mission successfully resumed ISS assembly operations after the Columbia Disaster. During the 12-day flight, the large P3/P4 Truss Segment was delivered and installed on the ISS. In addition to that, two solar arrays were installed and deployed that provide 25% of the Station’s power. The docked phase of the mission also featured an extensive robotics effort. Burbank performed one Spacewalk to finish the P3/P4 installation and activate the solar alpha rotary joint. He also prepared the solar arrays for final deployment. Burbank logged over 23 days in space on both of these missions. He has 7 hours and 11 minutes of EVA Time under his belt. From 2007 to 2009, he served as a professor at the US Coast Guard Academy. There, he taught Astronomy, Aerodynamics and Statics&Engineering Design. Later in 2009, he was selected for a long duration mission to the ISS. He served as backup crewmember for Expedition 27. Burbank is currently assigned to a six-month mission to the ISS. He will be a flight engineer during Expedition 29 and take command over the orbiting outpost for Increment 30. On the Soyuz TMA-22 Spacecraft, Burbank will work as Flight Engineer 2. Dan Burbank is a member of the Astronaut Band “Max Q”. He is a licensed ham radio operator and will participate in the ISS Ham Radio Education&Public Outreach program. Students all over the world are able to talk to Astronauts aboard the ISS via Ham Radio Link as part of this campaign. Burbank is married and has two children. In his free time, he enjoys running, skiing, hiking sailing, amateur astronomy and playing guitar.Follow Dan Burbank on TWITTER.

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